Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a Concentration in Legal Assisting

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a Concentration in Legal Assisting

2+2 for students who complete the Legal Assisting Technology Program

This program is designed for students who have completed the associate degree in legal
assisting and who wish to attend law school or pursue any career - either traditional
of nontraditional- which requires paralegal skills or a paralegal background. Some
examples of career opportunities for graduates of our program are internal revenue
officer, clerk of courts, veterans claims examiner, and computer litigation support.

All required courses in the legal assisting program (68 hours) count toward the baccalaureate
requirements. After transferring the legal assisting credits, the bachelor of science
student needs to complete the General Education Program requirements and the Business
Core.

Legal Assisting Technology Associate Degree

Legal assistants perform many tasks under the supervision of attorneys, Their responsibilities
may include legal and factual research, interviewing clients and witnesses, reviewing
and organizing material for cases, drafting legal documents and forms, and functioning
as a member of a legal team.

Jobs for the legal assistant vary in scope and nature from small to large law firms,
financial institutions, corporations, law courts, insurance agencies, banks, department
stores, credit departments, and health care facilities. It is one of the fastest growing
areas of employment in the United States today.

Career Opportunities

A paralegal's job title may reflect the type of law practiced by their employer (i.e.,
administrative law, banking, bankruptcy, or corporate paralegal). Paralegals are also
employed in the areas of criminal, domestic relations, employee benefits, environmental,
family, health care, insurance, oil and gas, and workers' compensation law as well
as in estate planning and litigation.

Goals of the program

The legal assisting program has clearly established goals designed to meet the unique
needs of our students, potential employers of our graduates, and the mission of Shawnee
State University. Our goals are as follows: (1) to graduate ethically responsible
legal assistants who are conscious of the prohibitions against the unauthorized practice
of law; (2) to create and maintain a program responsive to the needs of its constituency;
(3) to strive to qualify graduates who will contribute to the advancement of the profession,
rather than to serve only the purposes of one institution or locality; and (4) to
develop the student's sensitivity to emerging concepts regarding the role of the legal
assistant in the effective delivery of legal services in both the private and public
section of our society.

The legal assisting courses at Shawnee State are not theory courses, but rather practical
"how to" courses taught by attorneys and judges who have specialized in the area in
which they teach.